"Remember: Science fair projects are due...NOW!" It's no secret that kids sometimes put off doing their assignments, especially if they get busy or don't know where to begin. But with this compilation at hand, their science fair problems are over, because it's full of super-quick ideas sure to wow the crowd and the judges. All the experiments use common, easy to find materials, and there's valuable advice on creating an appealing presentation and writing an accompanying report. Construct a "Juice Rocket"; grow crystals along a piece of string; build a biosphere; and mummify an orange. And here's one for the birds: an experiment to determine if our avian friends prefer one type of food over another. Every project is smart and fun!

With these 100 proven projects, students will have a really winning science fair experience—and hone their analytical skills, too. Best of all, the author makes even the most complicated subjects—such as DNA research—marvelously clear. The wide range of topics offers something for everyone: the many faces of acids and bases, the science of life (cells, enzymes, algae), perfect plant projects, the nature of hot and cold, chemical conundrums, and lots more. Students can construct a solar oven in a pizza box, figure out how many phone books can balance on a couple of eggshells, concoct a “snail salad,” and other blue-ribbon ideas.

Nature Science Experiments:

What’s Hopping in a Dust Bunny?

Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Sterling Publishing

ISBN-10: 1402724128

ISBN-13: 978-1402724121

Kitchen Science Experiments:

How Does Your Mold Garden Grow?

Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Sterling Publishing

ISBN-10: 1402724136

ISBN-13: 978-1402724138

What do a glass of milk, a sponge in the sink, and a refrigerator have in common? THEY'RE ALIVE with bacteria, mold, and kitchen chemistry possibilities. The kitchen is a perfect place for budding “mad scientists” to experiment. Kids 9 to 12 will have a blast using yeast to inflate balloons; making a fish mummy; growing a mold garden; and removing an eggshell with kitchen science experiments! Every topic features sidebars, illustrations, photographs, and extension activities.

Fun, easy-to-use, and accessible, this cool collection of science activities will have kids ages 9-12 eagerly carrying out experiments with common, everyday objects from the home and backyard. The captivating ideas range from DNA collection (getting samples from real cells in your mouth) to investigating carnivorous plants (“Trigger This: Explore the Properties of the Venus Flytrap’s Trigger Hairs”). Every topic is presented in appealing clear, reading-level-appropriate language with complementary experiments, sidebars, illustrations, photography, and extension activities.

Jane Goodall (Up Close)

Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Viking

ISBN-10: 0670062634

ISBN-13: 978-0670062638

Jane Goodall will forever be linked with the chimpanzees that she’s studied for over fifty years. A pioneer in scientific research, she revolutionized longstanding views about chimps, forest conservation, and women in scientific fields. This Up Close biography tells the story of how a demure young woman from London went to Africa and changed the world.

Sterling Biographies:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

A National Hero

Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Sterling

ISBN-10: 1402735456

ISBN-13: 978-1402735455

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the only four-term President in American history, and the man who fearlessly guided the United States through both the Great Depression and the Second World War. Although left partially paralyzed by polio, he persevered and became a powerful leader during a difficult period in U.S. history. This fascinating biography captures all the drama of F.D.R.’s life and times: his privileged, but somewhat lonely childhood; his marriage to Eleanor, who opened his eyes to social injustice; his introduction to public office; his struggle to stay in politics in spite of his physical disabilities; and the daunting task of being President in a time of national and global turmoil.

We all love shivery, scary stories about unquiet ghosts, bloodsucking vampires, wicked witches, and werewolves howling under a full moon. But do real monsters walk the earth—or are they just figments of our imagination? Unwrap the mystery and discover the truth! Over time, scientific inquiry has shed light on these terrifying creatures of the darkness; the reality behind the legends will fascinate children as much as any horror movie or tale told round a campfire. Find out whether there really is a curse of the mummy; how Dracula got his name; and how zombies are created. From giant cyclopses to a chilling account of an authentic haunted house, what they read here will open kids’ eyes wide with surprise!